Breaking Bad (season 1)
Encyclopedia
The first season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad
premiered on January 20, 2008 and concluded on March 9, 2008. It consisted of seven episodes, each running approximately 47 minutes in length, except the pilot episode which runs approximately 57 minutes. AMC broadcast the first season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States. There were nine episodes planned for the first season but this was cut short by the writer's strike
. The complete first season was released on Region 1 DVD on February 24, 2009 and Region A Blu-ray on March 16, 2010.
(Bryan Cranston
) leads a mundane life as a high school chemistry teacher, living with his wife, Skyler (Anna Gunn
) and his son, Walter Jr. (RJ Mitte
), who has cerebral palsy
. His life is complicated when he is diagnosed with stage-three terminal lung cancer
. Walter decides to enter the illegal drug trade to develop a sufficient inheritance for his family before he succumbs to his cancer. He uses his chemistry knowledge to cook a remarkably potent methamphetamine
(crystal meth) with one of his former students, Jesse Pinkman
(Aaron Paul
).
The two attempt to sell their product to a drug distributor, "Krazy-8," who believes that Walter is an undercover cop and attempts to kill him. Walter and Jesse manage to defend themselves, by kidnapping and killing Krazy-8 and his accomplice. Walter, deeply disturbed by the ordeal, breaks his ties with Jesse. Upon returning home, Walter and his family discuss long-term plans towards dealing with cancer. While Walter originally wishes to slowly succumb to his cancer rather than suffering the side-effects of chemotherapy
, his family eventually convince him to undergo treatment.
Walter is offered financial assistance from his brother-in-law, Hank (Dean Norris
), who is a DEA
agent, and from his wealthy friend Gretchen, but turns down both offers. Instead, Walter decides to return to producing crystal meth, and tells his family that the money he earns was actually from Gretchen. Walter then convinces Jesse that they should start selling their product to Tuco (Raymond Cruz
), a powerful but psychopathic drug distributor. The two begin to expand their operations by stealing a large drum of methylamine
, thereby allowing them to produce large quantities of meth for Tuco. Walter begins to come to terms with his secret lifestyle, and creates the pseudonym
"Heisenberg
" to conceal his identity.
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, cast members Bryan Cranston
, Anna Gunn
, Aaron Paul
, Dean Norris
, Betsy Brandt
, and RJ Mitte
, and editor Lynne Willingham and "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, and writer George Mastras
; "The Making of Breaking Bad"; "Inside Breaking Bad"; AMC Shootout
– Interview with Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, and Mark Johnson; deleted scenes; screen tests; and Vince Gilligan's photo gallery.
.
The first season received numerous awards and nominations, including four Emmy Award
nominations with two wins. Bryan Cranston
won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Lynne Willingham won for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series. Vince Gilligan
was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the pilot episode and John Toll
was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series. Cranston also won a Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Drama. The series was nominated for Outstanding New Program of the Year at the Television Critics Association Awards
. The series also received three Writers Guild of America Award
nominations with one win. It was nominated for Best New Series, Patty Lin
was nominated for Best Episodic Drama for "Gray Matter", and Vince Gilligan won for Best Episodic Drama for the pilot episode.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White , a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series...
premiered on January 20, 2008 and concluded on March 9, 2008. It consisted of seven episodes, each running approximately 47 minutes in length, except the pilot episode which runs approximately 57 minutes. AMC broadcast the first season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States. There were nine episodes planned for the first season but this was cut short by the writer's strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
. The complete first season was released on Region 1 DVD on February 24, 2009 and Region A Blu-ray on March 16, 2010.
Plot
Walter WhiteWalter White (Breaking Bad)
Walter Hartwell "Walt" White is a fictional character and the antihero of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Bryan Cranston and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan...
(Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
) leads a mundane life as a high school chemistry teacher, living with his wife, Skyler (Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn is an American actress, best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice, Martha Bullock on Deadwood, and, currently, Skyler White on Breaking Bad. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses" and on the first season of Murder One...
) and his son, Walter Jr. (RJ Mitte
RJ Mitte
Roy Frank “RJ” Mitte III is an American actor best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC television series, Breaking Bad....
), who has cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. His life is complicated when he is diagnosed with stage-three terminal lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. Walter decides to enter the illegal drug trade to develop a sufficient inheritance for his family before he succumbs to his cancer. He uses his chemistry knowledge to cook a remarkably potent methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
(crystal meth) with one of his former students, Jesse Pinkman
Jesse Pinkman
Jesse Bruce Pinkman is a fictional character of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Aaron Paul and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan.-Background:...
(Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul
Aaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
).
The two attempt to sell their product to a drug distributor, "Krazy-8," who believes that Walter is an undercover cop and attempts to kill him. Walter and Jesse manage to defend themselves, by kidnapping and killing Krazy-8 and his accomplice. Walter, deeply disturbed by the ordeal, breaks his ties with Jesse. Upon returning home, Walter and his family discuss long-term plans towards dealing with cancer. While Walter originally wishes to slowly succumb to his cancer rather than suffering the side-effects of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
, his family eventually convince him to undergo treatment.
Walter is offered financial assistance from his brother-in-law, Hank (Dean Norris
Dean Norris
Dean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.-Biography:...
), who is a DEA
DEA
DEA is the commonly used acronym for the Drug Enforcement Administration, a United States law enforcement agency.DEA or Dea may also refer to:- Organizations :* DEA , UK development education charity...
agent, and from his wealthy friend Gretchen, but turns down both offers. Instead, Walter decides to return to producing crystal meth, and tells his family that the money he earns was actually from Gretchen. Walter then convinces Jesse that they should start selling their product to Tuco (Raymond Cruz
Raymond Cruz
Raymond Cruz is a Mexican American actor. He is mostly known for playing military roles. Since 2005 he has been a regular cast member on the TV series The Closer, playing the character Detective Julio Sanchez...
), a powerful but psychopathic drug distributor. The two begin to expand their operations by stealing a large drum of methylamine
Methylamine
Methylamine is the organic compound with a formula of CH3NH2. This colourless gas is a derivative of ammonia, but with one H atom replaced by a methyl group. It is the simplest primary amine. It is sold as a solution in methanol, ethanol, THF, and water, or as the anhydrous gas in pressurized...
, thereby allowing them to produce large quantities of meth for Tuco. Walter begins to come to terms with his secret lifestyle, and creates the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Heisenberg
Werner Heisenberg
Werner Karl Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to quantum mechanics and is best known for asserting the uncertainty principle of quantum theory...
" to conceal his identity.
Main cast
- Bryan CranstonBryan CranstonBryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
as Walter WhiteWalter White (Breaking Bad)Walter Hartwell "Walt" White is a fictional character and the antihero of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Bryan Cranston and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan... - Anna GunnAnna GunnAnna Gunn is an American actress, best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice, Martha Bullock on Deadwood, and, currently, Skyler White on Breaking Bad. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses" and on the first season of Murder One...
as Skyler White - Aaron PaulAaron PaulAaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
as Jesse PinkmanJesse PinkmanJesse Bruce Pinkman is a fictional character of the American television drama series Breaking Bad on AMC. He is portrayed by Aaron Paul and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan.-Background:... - Dean NorrisDean NorrisDean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.-Biography:...
as Hank Schrader - Betsy BrandtBetsy BrandtBetsy Brandt is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad-Early life:Brandt is a native of Bay City, Michigan. Betsy graduated from Western High School in 1991....
as Marie Schrader - RJ MitteRJ MitteRoy Frank “RJ” Mitte III is an American actor best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC television series, Breaking Bad....
as Walter White, Jr.
Guest starring
- Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez
- Carmen SeranoCarmen SeranoCarmen Serano is a Hispanic American actress. She starred in the 2007 film Urban Justice alongside Steven Seagal. In 2008 she appeared in five episodes of the series, Breaking Bad.-Personal life:...
as Principal Carmen Molina - Jessica HechtJessica HechtJessica Hecht is an American actress, known for numerous Broadway appearances and TV roles.-Background:Hecht was born in Princeton, New Jersey, the daughter of Lenore, a psychotherapist, and Richard Hecht, a physicist. Jessica moved with her parents and her sister to Bloomfield, CT, at the age of...
as Gretchen Schwartz - Maximino Arciniega as Krazy-8 Molina
- Charles Baker as Skinny Pete
- Raymond CruzRaymond CruzRaymond Cruz is a Mexican American actor. He is mostly known for playing military roles. Since 2005 he has been a regular cast member on the TV series The Closer, playing the character Detective Julio Sanchez...
as Tuco Salamanca
Episodes
- The first column refers to the episode's number in the overall series.
- The second column refers to the episode's number in that particular season.
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Home video releases
The first season was released on DVD in Region 1 on February 24, 2009, in Region 2 on December 14, 2009, and in Region 4 on July 8, 2009. It was released on Blu-ray in Region A on March 16, 2010. Special features on the DVD and Blu-ray include two audio commentaries—"Pilot" by creator Vince GilliganVince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan is an American writer, director and producer. He is the creator of the highly acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. Gilligan has also worked on the hit series The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen. He is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University...
, cast members Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
, Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn
Anna Gunn is an American actress, best known for her roles as Assistant District Attorney Jean Ward on The Practice, Martha Bullock on Deadwood, and, currently, Skyler White on Breaking Bad. She appeared on Seinfeld in the episode "The Glasses" and on the first season of Murder One...
, Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul
Aaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
, Dean Norris
Dean Norris
Dean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.-Biography:...
, Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad-Early life:Brandt is a native of Bay City, Michigan. Betsy graduated from Western High School in 1991....
, and RJ Mitte
RJ Mitte
Roy Frank “RJ” Mitte III is an American actor best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC television series, Breaking Bad....
, and editor Lynne Willingham and "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" by Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, and writer George Mastras
George Mastras
George Mastras is an American author, television writer and producer. He has worked on all four seasons of the AMC drama Breaking Bad. He won the Pen USA Literary Award in 2009, and was nominated for a 2010 Prime Time Emmy Award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and four Writers Guild of America ...
; "The Making of Breaking Bad"; "Inside Breaking Bad"; AMC Shootout
Shootout (TV series)
Shootout, also known as Sunday Morning Shootout, is a talk and interview program produced by the cable television network AMC. The episodes first aired on AMC on Sunday mornings, before being rerun and syndicated to other networks .The show debuted on October 12, 2003...
– Interview with Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston, and Mark Johnson; deleted scenes; screen tests; and Vince Gilligan's photo gallery.
Reception
The first season of Breaking Bad received generally favorable reviews, scoring 74 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
The first season received numerous awards and nominations, including four Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations with two wins. Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Lynne Willingham won for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series. Vince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan
Vince Gilligan is an American writer, director and producer. He is the creator of the highly acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. Gilligan has also worked on the hit series The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen. He is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University...
was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the pilot episode and John Toll
John Toll
John Toll A.S.C. is a Cleveland-born American cinematographer.In 1978 he worked on his first film, Norma Rae, as camera operator. He won back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Cinematography in 1994 and 1995, for the movies Legends of the Fall and Braveheart.He was also nominated for an Academy...
was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a One-Hour Series. Cranston also won a Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Drama. The series was nominated for Outstanding New Program of the Year at the Television Critics Association Awards
TCA Awards
The TCA Awards are awards presented by the Television Critics Association in recognition of excellence in television excellence. There are eleven categories, which are presented every summer.-Categories:...
. The series also received three Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
nominations with one win. It was nominated for Best New Series, Patty Lin
Patty Lin
Patty Lin is an American television screenwriter and producer. She is a graduate of Cornell UniversityShe has written episodes for the television series Friends, Freaks and Geeks, Martial Law, Citizen Baines , Desperate Housewives, Leap of Faith and Breaking Bad.She has served as producer for a...
was nominated for Best Episodic Drama for "Gray Matter", and Vince Gilligan won for Best Episodic Drama for the pilot episode.